Legal Services

The Legal Office provides professional legal services to the
National Church Institutions of the Church of England (principally
the General Synod, the Archbishops' Council, the Church
Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board) and some
other national Church bodies, such as the Churches Conservation
Trust.

The work of the Legal Office broadly comprises:

legislative work for the General Synod, including the
preparation of draft Measures and Canons, as well as subordinate
legislation (such as Statutory Instruments), and the oversight of
their passage through Synod and, where appropriate,
Parliament;

the provision of legal advice to the National Church
Institutions and their constituent Boards, Councils, Committees and
departments in relation to the application of ecclesiastical and/or
civil law to their various functions and activities; and

property transactional work in connection with the Church
Commissioners' statutory functions in relation to land owned by the
Church of England.

The staff of the Legal Office liaise over legal matters
affecting the wider Church of England with diocesan registrars (the
solicitors appointed to advise and act for each diocese and its
bishop) and with diocesan bishops' legal advisers.

To follow the advice provided in these pages, you will often
need to know in which diocese you live and/or worship. If you are
unsure, you should consult the Church of England Year
Book or the 'Where to find us' pages elsewhere on this
website. If you have any questions, queries or requests for more
information in relation to any of the information provided here,
contact the Legal Office at Church House, Great Smith Street,
London SW1P 3AZ; tel. +44 (0)20 7898 1000; email legal@churchofengland.org.

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